Auckland Entertainment
Combining laid-back Antipodes style with the kind of urban sophistication you might expect in a much bigger city, Auckland is a great place to spend time. Whether your idea of heaven is champagne and harbour views, going hard with an international DJ, or downing espresso in a bustling city café, the City of Sails has it covered.
Where to look for fun? Quay Streets Visitor Information Centre is a good start. The New Zealand Herald has daily entertainment listings plus a more comprehensive guide in its Saturday edition. The pocket-friendly free press magazine The Fix has weekly listings for alternative music gigs, parties and DJs.
Bars and Pubs
From rowdy and boisterous to sophisticated cool, Aucklands watering holes cater
to every taste. Queen Streets The Classic Comedy & Bar is a double
entertainment whammy - a warm, friendly bar and Aucklands premiere comedy venue.
The London Bar is a British-style pub with a huge selection of beers and
excellent live jazz. Like your cocktails with a little Frank Sinatra? Head to
Deschlers on High Street. The Occidental Belgian Café on Vulcan Lane has a
Belgian theme with traditional beers and food, including delicious steamed
mussels.
On Ponsonby Road, big fun can always be found at the tiny bar Lime. The Hula Hut combines Hawaiian kitsch with urban chic, and ultra-cool Level One is a great place to check out whos happening.
Elsewhere, Mt Edens Horse & Trap Tavern is a nice, casual English-style pub. Irish pub, The Dogs Bollix, on Newton Road is also a good option. In the Viaduct Basin, The Loaded Hog Brewery offers rowdy fun and its own brewery, while a more sophisticated ambience can be found at Coast and Euro.
Café Scene
Cafés are an integral part of Auckland culture and over the past few years
locals have become as passionate and knowledgeable about coffee as they are
about wine. Ponsonby Road is café heartland and Atomic Café is one of the
originals. Santos, beloved of the local hip-hop community, is small and very
cool. As its name suggests, Bambina is compact and very stylish.
On Karangahape Road (known to the locals as K?Road), Brazil offers post neo-industrial surroundings for the alternative crowd. Alleluya is a sunny hideaway with pleasant park views.
You'll find loads of cafés in the central city too, with a particularly good cluster around High Street and Vulcan Lane.
Live Music
Auckland has a thriving local music scene and is firmly established on the
international touring route. Big names tend to play the Auckland Town Hall,
Ericsson Stadium, The North Shore Events Centre and The Powerstation. Local
alternative bands stick mostly to The Kings Arms and The Temple. Jazz, Blues and
Folk can be found at Java Jive, local dance and electronica at Galatos.
The Edge/Aotea Centre and the Auckland Town Hall regularly host classical performances including The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, The Auckland Philharmonia and The Auckland Symphony Orchestra.
Tickets for mainstream events can usually be purchased at Ticketek or Real Groovy Records.
Gay Scene
Inner city Auckland is very gay friendly, but K?Road is official H.Q. This is
club land, and between The Legend, Sinners, The Case and other more mainstream
clubs, you're guaranteed a great time.
On High Street, club G.A.Y. is extremely popular. On Ponsonby Road, small but perfectly formed Surrender Dorothy has a fabulous neighbourhood feel, and SPQR is a well-known haunt.
Auckland has a full calendar of gay events including dance parties, exhibitions and film festivals. Most prominent is the annual Hero Festival, a jam-packed gay pride programme including the Hero Dance Party. For local news and events, look for Express Magazine or TV show 'Queer Nation?.
Theatre and Cinema
From international hits to the more obscure, Aucklands theatre scene is
beginning to blossom. Big touring shows, as well as productions by Auckland
Opera and The New Zealand Ballet, can be found at The Edge/Aotea Centre.
Auckland Theatre Company offers a superb programme of plays throughout the year and the Silo Theatre plays home to Aucklands fringe.
Aucklanders are movie lovers and you'll find modern multiplexes all over the city. The Force Entertainment Centre on Aotea Square is particularly impressive and also houses an IMAX Cinema. The recently refurbished Civic theatre is definitely worth a visit for its architectural beauty alone.
Every winter the Auckland International Film Festival enjoys tremendous support. Slightly more offbeat is the Incredibly Strange Film Festival, presenting b-grade classics, kung-fu flicks and other cool, weird stuff.
Nightlife
Within Aucklands five official entertainment districts - The Central Business
District (CBD), Ponsonby, The Viaduct Basin, K?Road and Parnell ' you're bound
to find fun with your name on it.
K?Road is Club Central. There are loads to choose from including Kiss, Jones and Calibre - all hip, young and loud. If Latin flavours appeal, you'll dance up a storm at Club Havana.
In the city, Cause Celebre attracts a more mature crowd with regular live
jazz. Its neighbour, The Box, is great fun and their Retro and Hip Hop Jam
nights are hugely popular. If you're more into tech house and drum 'n bass, The
Ministry is the place to go.
For glitzy around-the-clock fun, Sky City Casino has everything you?d expect
from a world-class casino.
Events
Auckland has a jam-packed events calendar with something for everyone.
The International Laugh Festival attracts well-known and rising comedy stars
from all over the world. The Montana Waiheke Island of Jazz Festival has become
a fine Easter tradition, while gardening buffs will love the Ellerslie Flower
Show.
The Auckland Domain is a picturesque city landmark and attracts huge turnouts to events like Opera in the Park and Symphony Under The Stars. Throughout summer, the local council offers a full programme of music in parks, and radio station 95 bFM is famous for its Albert Park Summer Series.
For fans of alternative music, The Big Day Out, showcasing loads of
heavyweight international performers, is not to be missed.
Auckland has the largest Polynesian population in the world, and no better way
is this celebrated than through the annual Pasifika Festival.
You'll never be hard pressed to find a world-class sporting event to watch in Auckland. International cricket and rugby test matches are particularly popular, as are rugby league and international tennis.
Known as the 'City of Sails?, Auckland offers much for the yachting enthusiast. The city will again host the Americas Cup in 2003, and already theres tremendous excitement.
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